Nancy McEnery, Reference Librarian Napa Valley College

Environmental Issues Research for English 120

The library is a great place to start your research for environmental issues because we have both print and digital sources of information. While there are many good sources of information freely available on the Web, oftentimes, the better sources of information require a subscription (to provide access to full-text articles). Napa Valley College Library has some great online databases that are available to you as a student and community member (all you need is a SNAP library card for off-campus access – see page 3).

Typical Research Flow

It is important to use a variety of information sources when conducting research. One approach is to start with print sources and work your way toward online information. You do not absolutely have to follow this sequence, but it helps to make sure you are covering all types of information available to you.

Reference Books Circulating Books Articles from Online Databases The Web Associations

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REFERENCE BOOKS

Reference books provide general background information (facts, definitions, dates, details), assistance in focusing your topic, quick access to important factual and statistical information, and references to other sources of information. It is therefore a good place to begin your research.

Subject-Specific Encyclopedia Examples Napa Valley College has the following subject-specific encyclopedias:

Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal Welfare. Marc Bekoff, ed. Call Number: REF 179.3 Encyclopedia.

Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change. S. George Philander, ed. Call Number: REF 363.7387 v1-3.

Pollution A to Z. Richard Stapleton, ed. Call Number: REF 363.7303 v. 1-3

Dictionaries

The Facts on File Dictionary of Environmental Science. Bruce Wyman, PhD & L. Harold Stevenson, Ph.D. ed. Call Number: REF 367.7 Wyman.

How to Locate Books at Napa Valley College:

Napa Valley College Library Website: http://www.napavalley.edu/library Click link: “Find Books” to locate books and other materials using the Solano, Napa and Partners (SNAP) online catalog.

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CIRCULATING BOOKS

Use the Solano Napa & Partners (SNAP) Online catalog to locate books at NVC Library and other partner libraries. If we do not have the book here, you can request it through Inter-Library Loan and have it sent to NVC.

When searching for books in the SNAP catalog, you can do a keyword search, but the best way to find good sources of information is to do a SUBJECT SEARCH. Subject searches look for LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SUBJECT HEADINGS assigned to a particular book. These headings help you find books which are specifically about your topic.

Here are some examples of subject headings you can search:

Animal Waste Environmental aspects Animal Welfare Beef Industry Environmental aspects Consumption (Economics) Environmental aspects Commuting Environmental aspects Diseases United States Statistics Energy Consumption Environmental aspects Environmentalism Factory and trade waste Environmental aspects Food industry and trade Environmental aspects Fossil Fuels Environmental aspects Meat Industry and trade Environmental aspects Pesticides Environmental aspects United States Sustainable Living Sustainable Development Swine Manure Environmental aspects Transportation Environmental aspects Urban Development

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ARTICLES FROM ONLINE DATABASES

Full-text scholarly journal articles are available online, as are newspaper and magazine articles. When looking for articles, check for:  The credentials of the writer  Quality of the sources – academic journals, books, websites  Opinions supported by evidence  Avoid sources that lack objectivity (biased)

Napa Valley College Library Website: http://www.napavalley.edu/library Click link: “Find Articles and Databases” to access NVC’s online subscription databases. You may find the following databases helpful when conducting research on environmental issues: GreenFILE (EBSCO) Lexis-Nexis Academic Newspaper Source Plus (EBSCO) Proquest Newspapers Points of View (EBSCO) TopicSearch (EBSCO) Academic Search Complete (Multi-disciplinary Database) Masterfile Premier (Multi-disciplinary Database)

THE WEB

There are many good sources of information on the Internet pertaining to environmental issues. When deciding to use a particular website, be sure to evaluate it using the “CARS” test (see page 5) to determine if the site is a good choice for college-level research.

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Trust-worthy source, author’s credentials, evidence of quality control, known or respected authority, organizational support.

Credibility Goal: an authoritative source, a source that supplies some good evidence that allows you to trust it.

Up-to-date, factual, detailed, exact, comprehensive, audience and purpose reflect intentions of completeness and accuracy.

Accuracy Goal: a source that is correct today (not yesterday), a source that gives the whole truth.

Fair, balanced, objective, reasoned, no conflict of interest, absence of fallacies or slanted tone.

Reasonableness Goal: a source that engages the subject thoughtfully and reasonably, concerned with the truth.

Listed sources, contact information, available corroboration, claims supported, documentation supplied.

Support Goal: a source that provides convincing evidence for the claims made, a source you can triangulate (find at least two other sources that support it).

Here are a few websites to check out:

FACTORY FARMING

Agricola

Bibliographic database of citations to the agricultural literature created by the National Agricultural Library. http://agricola.nal.usda.gov/

Factory Farming and You University of Michigan site containing Bruce Friedrich, director of vegan outreach for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), discussion

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of factory farming and how it is harming the environment, health, and animals. http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/57423

Sustainable Table “Sustainable Table was created in 2003 by the nonprofit organization GRACE to help consumers understand the problems with our food supply and offer viable solutions and alternatives.” http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/factoryfarming/

The Meatrix “Take the red pill and watch the critically-acclaimed, award-winning first episode of The Meatrix Trilogy.” A great animated film to introduce factory farming to a young audience. http://www.themeatrix.com/

ENERGY CONSUMPTION

Consumer Energy Center: Alternative Vehicles Brought to you by the California Energy Commission, this site provides a good background about alternative fuel vehicles. http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/transportation/afvs/

Online Books Page University of Pennsylvannia Browse this useful subject guide on energy consumption from the University of Pennsylvania Library. Portable Documents (pdf’s) are available. http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book//browse?type=lcsubc&key =Energy%20consumption%20--%20Environmental%20aspects%20-- %20United%20States

URBAN DEVELOPMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

WWW Virtual Library on Urban Environmental Management. “The Global Development Research Center is an independent nonprofit think tank that carries out initiatives in education, research and practice in the

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spheres of environment, urban, community and information.” http://www.gdrc.org/uem/

United Nations Division for Sustainable Development Around the world, the UN provides leadership and is an authoritative source of expertise on sustainable development. http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/susdevtopics/sdt_index.shtml

WorldWatch Institute: Vision for a Sustainable World Analyzes interdisciplinary environmental data from around the world, providing information on how to build a sustainable society. http://www.worldwatch.org/

ASSOCIATIONS (A Few Examples)

Associations and organizations are often a good place to locate information when conducting research. Often, these entities publish pamphlets and brochures about their activities. Also, experts in various areas belong to such groups and can be contacted through membership lists maintained by associations and organizations.

The American Humane Association “American Humane has worked to protect animals since 1877, providing a voice for the nations most vulnerable.” They focus on preventing cruelty, neglect and exploitation of animals. http://www.americanhumane.org/protecting-animals/programs/farm- animals/

The Sierra Club “The Club is America’s oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization.” http://www.sierraclub.org/

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency The EPA’s mission is to protect human health and the environment. http://www.epa.gov/epahome/aboutepa.htm

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